You can make a real difference in the lives and futures of some of the most disadvantaged young Australians.
Did you know that Indigenous young people in remote communities are the most educationally disadvantaged in Australia?
- School attendance rates are as low as 14 per cent in very remote areas of Australia (Closing the Gap report 2015).
- Some 50% of Indigenous young people in remote communities do not have access to, or fail to complete, secondary school.
For these young people, the future can be bleak. But, with your support, we will open up exciting horizons for these Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.
Making a difference - NRL Cowboys House
NRL Cowboys House is a new purpose built, 50-bed boarding facility opening in the major North Queensland city of Townsville in time for the 2017 school year and designed to enable these young people to attend the secondary school of their choice.
However, when the facility is handed over to the
Cowboys Community Foundation (ABN: 89 603 728 427) to manage at the end of the year it will be a shell, empty of furnishing and fittings - which is where your support comes in.
The Cowboys Community Foundation is the recently established charity arm of the
North Queensland Cowboys Rugby League Football Club.
Using sport and sporting heroes to engage young people, their families and the broader community, the Foundation is building on the work and commitment of
Indigenous sporting legends such as
Johnathan Thurston and
Mathew Bowen to make a real difference and create positive futures for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people.
NRL Cowboys House will not only provide a safe and culturally sensitive place to live while they get an education, it will also provide wrap-around personal and academic support and leadership development that is individually tailored to the needs of each student.
NRL Cowboys House Learning Centre
At the heart of this support will be the
NRL Cowboys House Learning Centre.
In addition to providing a quiet homework and study space for students, the Learning Centre will be staffed by a trained senior teacher who will provide dedicated and intensive support to ensure that each student overcomes the key barriers to their dream of achieving a full and successful secondary education.
Culture shock on moving from an isolated Indigenous community to a large regional city, and separation from family, community, country and culture will be a constant source of potential anxiety and disengagement from their education goals.
Equipping the Learning Centre with video conferencing facilities will enable students to stay in regular contact with their families, elders and friends - bringing them closer to their community and culture and activities happening on-country.
Most of those staying at NRL Cowboys House will be at an educational disadvantage from the day they start with us.
The Learning Centre at NRL Cowboys House will provide accelerated learning and remedial education programs designed to ensure that students are not academically disadvantaged in the mainstream schools they attend.
Help us make a real difference
Like the other components of NRL Cowboys House, the Learning Centre will be purpose designed. However, when it is handed over to the Foundation at the end of this year, it will be empty.
To make the Learning Centre effective we need your help to raise $20,000 to cover the cost of everything from tables, chairs and study pods to computers, whiteboards, learning materials, storage and video conferencing facilities.
All donations will go directly to the Cowboys Community Foundation.
For more information on the Cowboys Community Foundation and NRL Cowboys House, visit
cowboysfoundation.org.au
